The points of issue
First Pulitzer Prize for the Novel (awarded 1918). Published May 1917. Cloth boards with title in gilt on the spine; title page and copyright page both dated 1917, with the copyright statement reading 'Set up and electrotyped. Published May, 1917' and no later-printing line. Earliest copies have the publisher's advertisements at the rear.
Is this the true first?
US true first; Macmillan 1917 is the only first. Note that the award year (1918) differs from the publication year (1917), which collectors frequently mis-date.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note. Later Macmillan printings add a printing statement after the 'Published May, 1917' line. Grosset & Dunlap reprints are inexpensive and clearly marked.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of His Family a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First Pulitzer Prize for the Novel (awarded 1918). Published May 1917. Cloth boards with title in gilt on the spine; title page and copyright page both dated 1917, with the copyright statement reading 'Set up and electrotyped. Published May, 1917' and no later-printing line. Earliest copies have the publisher's advertisements at the rear.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US true first; Macmillan 1917 is the only first. Note that the award year (1918) differs from the publication year (1917), which collectors frequently mis-date.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of note. Later Macmillan printings add a printing statement after the 'Published May, 1917' line. Grosset & Dunlap reprints are inexpensive and clearly marked.
I have a first edition of His Family — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.